Through The Snow
by myonlyheroin
Summary: A new addition brings a whole new learning experience to the family, but Edward, Bella, Toby and Buster wouldn't trade it for anything. Sometimes the hardest things in life, are the best gifts. A sequel to as leaves fall. Epov.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, before you guys sneak down to read, I want to say a few things. I never thought I'd write a sequel to any of my fics. They make me nervous for some reason. Since you guys rarely ask for anything, here we are. I hope you enjoy this as much as you did with As Leaves Fall. Never once did I ever think that fic would be loved as much as it is, and I am so very thankful for that.**

 **Just like last time, I am basing this Bella after me and my deafness. I am deaf in my left, have 30% in my right, can read lips and sign.**

 **My plan is to update this once a week, since my RL is still very crazy at the moment. I do promise you will see this fic complete within, most likely, 15 chapters just like ALF.**

 **Thank you to Kyla713 for betaing and putting up with my nerves over this.**

 **Thank you for reading. Enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 1-**

 **3 years later.**

There was something beautiful about fresh snow blanketing everything that surrounded you outside. The fresh whiteness, where no footsteps marred what Mother Nature gifted us. The lights that gleamed off the freshly falling snow.

Winter had quickly become my favorite season. Only due to the fact that the most pivotal of moments in my life as of late, had all happened during this season. Me proposing to Bella, her telling me she was pregnant. I'd love to say we had our daughter when the first snow fell, but that wasn't the case, in fact, she came in the late summer. She arrived, kicking and screaming into this world, just two weeks before Bella's birthday in September.

I made sure to count all her fingers and toes, and gazed into her wide, blue eyes once she was placed into my arms after Bella was able to hold her after bringing her into the world. I can still remember the smell of her, the sounds of her coos, how long her fingers were, and the way Bella would look over at us with a huge grin on her face as she watched us interact until our baby needed to be fed again.

We struggled with a name, nothing seemed right, until Toby came busting through the door, all excited about meeting his baby sister.

"Is she here yet?" he asked as he walked into the room, Jasper and Alice following slowly behind.

"Yeah, bud. You wanna come meet her?" I patted the seat next to me and waited for him to join. Once he was next to me, I carefully helped him hold his new sister. "Well, Toby, what do you think?"

He gazed down in amazement, his mouth opened and closed a few times, apparently at a loss for words.

I looked over at Bella, who had a soft smile and a tear rolling down her cheek. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Just happy."

I turned my head back toward Toby just in time to see him bending his head down to his sister's, and kissing it ever so softly and closing his eyes. Once he was done, he sat back up and looked at me. "She looks like a Rose, all pink and soft."

My heart stopped for a minute as I looked at Bella, and we both realized that everything just clicked then.

"I think Rose definitely suits her," Bella said in a soft voice. "Rose Elise Cullen, don't you think, Dad?"

I placed my hand softly on Rose's chest, my thumb brushing Toby's fingers. "It is perfect."

From the moment we brought Rose home, Toby was all over "brotherly duties", as he called them. He always made sure she had a blanket, toys around her, even though she was way too young to play with them, and when she was hungry, he made sure Mom had all she needed. He even tried reading to her as Bella would rock her to sleep.

I felt a tug at my pant leg as I was brought out of my memories—a certain two-year-old was wanting my attention. She was a quiet, stealthy thing, always sneaking up on us.

"You want up with Dad?" I voiced as well as signed.

She nodded and pointed out to the window. She loved the snow. She'd sit and watch it fall for as long as she could, if she had the option.

It didn't take long to realize that something wasn't right with our newest member. Even though the hospital hearing test said she was perfect, we had our doubts. She was a very quiet baby, and wouldn't react to certain things the way we thought she should. She seemed to favor one side of her head over the other. Though rare for deafness and hearing loss to be hereditary, Bella was certain.

At four months old, we took Rose to Bella's audiologist, who then did a series of exams and hearing test, and sure enough, our daughter was deaf. We didn't view it as a hardship at all; if anything, it was a gift.

She was an amazing, beautiful girl, who we were lucky to have.

Rose pulled on my shirt a bit harder, her tiny hands coming up to my face. _Go out?_ she signed, smiling.

I nodded and called for Toby, who went to grab all their snow clothes. As I helped get them suited up to go play, I found myself thankful for the life I had now, and wouldn't trade for anything.

 **~.~**

 **To those of you who celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Please stay safe.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, guys! I hope you all had a lovely Chritmas! I, unfortunetly, had a really bad bout of the flu. Anyway, I hope you guys have a happy and safe NYE and New Years Day. I wish, for each and every one of you, a very happy year ahead filled with laughter, fun and love.**

 **I want to thank each and every one of you for reading this. Every review has made me smile. I love knowing you guys love this little family as much as I do.**

 **As always, thank you to Kyla713 for looking this over.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 2-**

Bella took Rose being deaf a bit harder than I thought she would. She never wanted her child to go through what she did. The constant testing, being fitted for hearing aids, or hoping she'd be a good candidate for a cochlear implant. She feared the kids making fun of her or her struggling with school, but Bella knew she was the best person for Rose, she wouldn't feel alone in her deafness.

When Rose was a baby, Bella barely slept. It would take me, our friends, or my parents to tell her it would be okay to sleep. She was afraid to sleep, afraid she wouldn't hear when her child needed her, even though she knew she had me, who would hear our daughter if she needed anything. But I understood it; she was a mom. She needed to know herself that everything was okay, that she could rely on us to help.

The first time Rose giggled, Bella could barely hear it with the help of her aids, but she placed her hand on our daughter's chest and felt the tiny vibrations as Rose made her little sounds. And that was how I almost always found them. Rose would be getting her meal, and Bella would place her hand on her chest, feeling her breathe and make her little grunts. They'd sleep the same way if Rose wasn't in her crib. I had more than a few pictures on my phone and laptop of them just that way.

Toby didn't see anything wrong with Rosie. If anything, he appointed himself Rose's teacher of all things sign. He'd sit for hours as she got older and he'd help her move her hands, and if he wasn't sure, he ran back to Mom to make sure he had the right sign.

Rose had many protectors besides us. Buster soon became her guardian, his eyes never left the kids, and when we went on walks, he stayed next to Rose at all times. Bella and I joked that they shared a kinship, both being deaf, and Buster had adopted Rose as his own. Toby didn't seem to mind.

As for me, having a deaf daughter has been a learning experience, but one I wouldn't trade. Sure, we had our hurdles with learning and coping, and finding new ways to deal with things, but I still loved every minute. Unlike with Bella, who still had some hearing in her right ear, Rose had none. We were hoping to find out soon if she'd be a good fit for a cochlear implant.

 **~.~**

Once the kids were dressed and ready for outside, Buster came barreling through, shooting past the kids and out the door the second I opened it.

"I'll have hot chocolate for you all when you're done. No way am I going out in that," Bella said, laughing, before playfully and pushing me out the door.

"I see how it is." I replied, setting Rose down on her feet once we were down the steps. Toby grabbed her hand and led her into the snow.

I had just got down on my knees to help Toby start a ball of snow for a snowman when I felt a tiny person launch themselves at me and climb on my back. I turned my head and smiled. Rosie was all smiles as she took a handful of snow and dropped it on my head.

Laughing, she made the sign for snow, and I couldn't find it in me to be mad when she was being that adorable.

"You got me." I held my hands up in surrender, as she flung more snow at me, and soon I was covered, and so was she. Toby was too busy plotting out where to roll his snowman to join in on our fun. Soon, I got Rose to settle and we tried to help Toby build his snowman as more fresh snow fell, but Buster was making that hard with his constant jumping between kids.

Eventually, noticing the kids both had red noses and flushed cheeks, I told them it was time to go in.

Rose decided to put up a fight. She stood in front of me, planted her feet, and crossed her arms as she glared and shook her head. I went to pick her up, but she mouthed "no!" Picking her up anyway, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her cheek.

 _Warm?_ I signed, and she nodded. _Momma is making hot chocolate._

She sighed and pouted. Her tiny hands came up to my face as she signed, _I love the snow. Stay._

Bella saved me by calling us in, waving Rose's favorite cup and making a show of giving her a huge marshmallow in it. Soon, I had a squirming kid in my arms who now couldn't wait to get to her mom and that hot chocolate.

As I walked up the steps and began taking off my scarf and gloves, that same, now happy, two-year-old took a sip of her chocolate, smiled and signed "I love you" to me.

And just then, my chest warmed, and I was struck with just how lucky I truly was to be handed these kids, this family and this day.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Happy New year!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you all are having a great start to the New Year!**

 **Awhile back, when I was posting ALF, Mina posted a video in my group of a cute deaf/speech impaired girl going to visit Santa. Santa then signed to the little girl, and since then, I've wanted to put that into a fic, and what better fic than this one. So I really hope you guys enjoy this update.**

 **Thank you to Kyla713 for forever putting up with me.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 3-**

There was a buzz in the air between Christmas break being due to begin for Toby, Bella's excitementfor all the new orders at the bakery, and then there was Rose. Toby had her all fired up for her first meeting—that she could remember, anyway—with Santa.

Toby had been prepping his sister all week. Asking her what she wanted for Christmas, which, for a two-almost-three-year-old, was a simple request. Bella and I both figured she'd ask for the doll she seemed so excited about anytime it flashed across the television screen, but nope. Instead, she wanted cars, just like her brother. All she cared about was that it had to be blue.

I was sure Santa could cover that.

"Dad, are we still going to be able to make it to the mall?" Toby asked, his brow scrunched up in worry as he looked over at his little sister, who was too wrapped up in her tiny world to really pay attention to us.

I pulled Toby up and onto a chair. "Don't you worry. I've got it covered."

"She can't miss it. I promised her that she'd get to see him, I even told her I'd sign for Santa." He looked so serious, and so worried that his sister wouldn't get her chance with Santa, that all I could do was hug him to me, kiss the top of his head and feel my heart grow bigger by three sizes.

"Well, T, I'm pretty sure Santa will have all that covered. Don't worry. In fact, Mom is meeting us at the mall this afternoon, so we can see them." Just as I mentioned that, Bella walked in, looking absolutely beautiful. I couldn't resist pulling her to me as well and planting a soft kiss upon her lips.

"Good morning, Love." I squeezed her to me and let out a contented sigh.

"Are we still on for this afternoon?" Bella asked, just leaving my side to go and pour herself a hot cup of coffee.

"Yes. Toby says it is a must." I chuckled. "And before I forget, the ENT office called..."

Bella's eyes grew wide. She knew what this meant, and I could see how nervous and scared she was for our daughter. "Were we able to get her in?"

"Yes. Two days before Christmas. They want a repeat hearing test, and we need to take her on the Tuesday before for an MRI, then we go from there. Though, they still want her to go to Children's to see a specialist, most likely in January."

Bella nodded and took a slow sip of her coffee. "I just really hope, above everything, that she is a good candidate. I want her to have so much more than I had growing up. Though, I'm nervous and worried. She hasn't even been fitted for proper aids yet. What if she doesn't take to those? I remember how much I hated them as a kid."

I grabbed her hand and squeezed, and looked over at Toby, who had now left us to go play with his sister. "Stop overthinking. I know it's hard, and it is in your nature to think on everything, but let's just go one hurdle at a time, okay?"

She nodded, grabbed her phone to shoot off a text, and drank some more of her coffee. "Supposed to snow more. That should make our Rose's day."

"I think I owe her another snowball fight." I smiled, "I just need to draft up a few plans for my firm, and then we will meet you at the mall. You going to be okay getting there on your own?"

She leaned over and kissed me, before placing her empty cup in the sink. "Yes. I asked Jasper if he could take me. He had something to give to Toby anyway."

Soon, Alice alerted Bella that she was out in our driveway to pick her up and we all said our goodbyes and see you laters to Mom as she left for work. I got the kids breakfast, then went and grabbed my work. They were both content as I looked over a couple of drafts, adding bits and pieces before sending them off.

After playing with my kids for a few hours, I told Toby to get ready while I sorted Rose.

"You excited?" I said and signed. We needed to get her used to mouth movement and sign, since we hoped she'd read lips eventually, and hopefully, once and if she had Cochlear, would go to speech therapy and be vocal.

Rose excitedly nodded her head before jumping up and signing "Santa!" I chuckled at her happiness, called for Toby to hurry downstairs, and soon, we were on our way.

The mall was a madhouse. I wasn't surprised since it was just weeks away from Christmas, but it set Rose on edge. She wasn't used to so much activity, and suddenly, I began to worry whether it was a good idea, but Toby grabbed my hand and pointed to where Santa was. He tried to get Rosie to look, but she was too busy pushing her face into my neck as I carried her through the mall.

We spotted my wife and Jasper just by the entrance to Santa's area in the mall. They waved once they spotted us, and motioned for Toby to hurry over. As soon as we reached them, Jasper bent down so that he was at Toby's level.

"Toby! My man!" He signed, and then offered up his hand for my son to fist bump. "I got you something special since I won't be here on Christmas to give it to you." Jasper signed, as I translated. Toby still didn't know a fair bit of ASL. He handed him a wrapped gift, then looked up at Bella, smiled and crossed his fingers.

Toby didn't care that we were in a crowded mall. He ripped it open as fast as his little fingers could let him. Soon, a gasp and a huge smile greeted us. "Jasper! This is so cool!" Toby signed, before wrapping Jasper up in a hug.

It was a model car of a fire red Lamborghini—the one Toby had been eyeing for a while. But that wasn't all. There was an envelope with a certificate in it. Jasper grabbed it to show Toby there was something else. Toby took out the piece of paper in it.

Jasper looked at me and my wife me. "I already brought it up to Bella, and I kind of brought it up to you in passing, but I think this would be fun for him." Jasper went on to tell us it was a mini camp geared for deaf kids, and kids from deaf families. It was only a day camp, and it took place over Toby's winter break.

"I think you're right. He'll love it."

Jasper then asked to hold my youngest. "Don't think I forgot about you, sweetheart." He handed her the doll she had been eyeing. Her shriek of happiness made all of us smile.

Soon, the line thinned, and we decided to get into to see Santa. "Still excited, my beautiful girl?" I signed and asked.

"Yes," she signed, a smile lighting up her whole face.

When it was our turn, I let Santa's elf know Toby would go first, and then my girl. We let her know that she was deaf, and Toby would sign to her.

"Don't you worry about it. Santa has it covered," Santa's helper replied, just as I had told Toby at home.

Santa's helper assisted our children up to Santa and placed them both on his lap as we stood off to the side, still close enough to see.

Santa asked Toby what he wanted and if he had been a good boy. To that, Toby replied with, "Of course, I'm good! I only got in trouble once this year, and that was because I forgot to put the toilet seat back down and my mom didn't like that much." I laughed, and Bella lightly smacked me.

"Well, I suppose that's not too bad of an infraction. I'll make sure to make a note to my elf over that and let that one slide," Santa told him, trying not to laugh.

When he got to my Rose, that was when the magic happened. He faced her completely, turned her body more towards him, and then he signed, "What would you like?"

Toby's eyes went wide as he looked between Santa and his sister.

Rose signed that she wanted a blue car.

Santa asked, "Are you sure? Not a pink one? Red one? Maybe orange?" Rosie let out a giggle and shook her head, then got a very determined look on her face.

"Blue. Blue. Blue." she signed, giggling.

Santa gave her a huge smile, his eyes twinkling. "You got it." He winked and handed off candy canes to both of them. "I want you both to have a Merry Christmas, okay?" He signed as well as said. "No waking up early and peeking, either." He touched both of their noses. "I always know."

Before Santa had the kids get down, I looked over at my wife, whose eyes were shining with unshed tears and kissed her check softly. "I'd say they had a good visit with Santa."

She turned to me and smiled. "A beautiful visit."

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **With winter break over for my kids starting this Monday, I want to try upping the updates to twice a week. So, I am shooting for an update on Wednesday, but no promises.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I wanted to hopefully get an early chapter up on Wednesday, but RL decided to make my week crazy as hell, so I decided to give you guys a longer chapter, with a little tiny dash of some citrus.**

 **I am going to try and update this more than once a week, if my RL can be nice. But if I don't, know I will always update at least by Sunday, or today if get it out early. Thank you for being patient.**

 **As always, thank you to Kyla713 for always looking over my words and putting up with me. Also, thanks to Mo for reading for me and letting me know it isn't all that bad.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 4-**

With Christmas fast approaching, excitement within the house was at an all-time high. Toby and Rose were busy helping Bella decorate the tree, wanting to get everything ready for Christmas Eve. The visit to Santa at the mall helped build the excitement more.

Bella and I were glad they could focus on that and not on an upcoming appointment for Rose. It took our minds off worrying and thinking over all the outcomes that could result from the appointment.

We just wanted the best for our girl. We'd spent countless hours since she was a small baby wondering what her facial expression would be as she heard her first sounds. Would she be amazed and curious and want more? Or would she not want anything to do with the offending noises and prefer her world quiet? We hoped, selfishly, that we'd get to see her have a huge smile upon her face at the first sound that passed through her eardrums.

Taking a sip of my coffee as I leaned against the kitchen counter, my eyes wandered over to my family. Toby was hanging an Olaf ornament, while Rose was tugging on Bella's pant leg to get her attention. She wanted up, and her eyes were on the angel that Bella had in her hand to place atop the tree.

Bella then bent down and signed up to our daughter, who then nodded excitedly. My wife then picked her up, smiling softly, as she carefully handed Rose the angel. She placed her hand over Rose's to help her place it just right.

"Happy?" Bella signed, her lips moving as she looked on at our daughter.

Rose nodded, then wiggled so Bella would set her down. Now that she had been able to do what she wanted, she ran away from the tree and toward me. She skidded to a stop and looked up at me, making a show that she wanted up in my arms now. Picking her up, I then held her to me tightly. She laid her head on my shoulder, her breath tickling my throat.

"I think someone is tired," I voiced as walked towards Bella. Once I reached her, I placed a gentle kiss on her cheek as she ran her hand gently down our daughter's back.

"Well, it is past their bedtime. We didn't get home 'til late from the Bakery party."

"I'm gonna go take her to bed," I replied, turning around to walk towards our darling girl's room. Before I could get far, I felt a tug on my shirt.

"Can I take her?" Toby asked, smiling.

He loved to read to her, even if she couldn't hear it. She'd watch his face as he read and turned pages, amazed with her brother.

"Tell you what. You go pick out the book and pull back her blankets for me, and I'll meet you there to lay her down."

His face lit up as he nodded, then hurried off toward his sister's room.

I took my time getting there, not wanting her out of my arms just yet. I knew I only had so long until she wouldn't want to be held like that anymore.

I hated that thought as much as when Toby got too big for me to hold. I didn't know what I would do with myself when he was too big for hugs from his dad as well.

Why couldn't they just stay small forever?

Once I reached her room, I found my son sitting in a chair next to Rose's bed, book on his lap.

"I see you're all ready." I chuckled as I laid my daughter down and covered her up.

He nodded and opened the book as I kissed Rose on her head. Her eyes were drooping but she was still awake. As I stood up, her head turned towards her brother as she smiled.

" 'Twas the night before Christmas..." Toby began as I walked out of the room, contentment flooding my entire being. I reached the door, closing it part way as I walked out to meet my wife, who had just finished decorating the rest of the tree.

"What did he pick tonight?" she asked as she sat down on the couch, the Christmas lights illuminating her beautiful face.

"Night before Christmas," I told her, sitting down next to her and pulling her into my arms, and kissed her soft, full lips. Her kisses still caused butterflies to stir in my stomach, and made me want more of her, just as they had the first time my lips ever met hers.

"Why don't you go check on Toby and get him into bed? Then maybe we can steal a few more kisses?" Her eyes twinkled as she smirked.

"Better yet, maybe we can move further than kissing?" I cheekily replied.

"Well, you better hurry then..."

I got up, taking my time to walk to Rose's room to shake off what my wife was capable of doing to me. As I reached the door, I could hear Toby shuffling around.

"Goodnight, Rosie. I love you."

I peeked my head in and smiled. "She all tucked in?"

"Yup! Though, she fell asleep half way through, but that's okay. I'll just read it to her again tomorrow."

"Sounds good, bud. How about you go brush your teeth and get ready for bed? Mom is still out by the tree, if you want to say goodnight."

Before I could even finish my sentence, he dashed down the hall and towards Bella. She may not have been his mother by blood, but she was his mom by love. He loved her, and she loved him just as much.

Once I sorted Toby for bed, had him all tucked in, I met my wife in our room.

Opening our door, I was met with Bella in all black lace. My mouth suddenly went dry as my heart rate sped up.

"I figured you'd been a good boy, so you've earned an early Christmas present."

That was one Christmas present I was gonna take my time unwrapping.

I walked slowly toward her, my eyes raking over her body. My hands wanted to roam over every sliver of skin.

"Aids?" I asked as I pulled her hair back and kissed her neck.

"Leaving them in. I want to hear you, know that I can make you moan."

Soon, we were discarding clothes as we lazily kissed, slowly making our way to our bed. Fingers traced over collar bones, as lips followed their path. As soon as the last piece of clothing met the floor, I pushed her softly down onto the bed as my lips started at her feet, and took their time canvassing her body. Nothing made her breath speed up more than my lips moving from her knee, up her thighs and kissing softly on her belly, just below her belly button. I loved to tease her, to illicit long slow moans.

My fingers explored, between her, inside her as she closed her eyes, her body arching up toward mine. Knowing she was close, my tongue took over what my fingers traced just moments before. The first pass over her clit caused her body to shudder.

Making love to my wife never got old. There was always some new reaction I'd uncover, or sound she'd

make, and I'd want to start over again just to bring her to a new level of bliss. Her face as she came, her moans and sighs, the way her eyes would flutter; everything was a reward, and I enjoyed every second.

I kissed my way up her body, nipping and biting along the way. The moment my lips met hers again, I pushed slowly in, savoring the feel of her warmth. The way our bodies moved together, the push and the pull, had both of us clinging to the other as our rhythm synced up.

The way she'd run her nails down my back as she moved her pelvis just right, causing me to push deeper, made a long slow moan escape me. Soon, we sped up in our movements, no longer able to contain ourselves in holding back what we both searched for.

The perfect release.

Her breath hitched and her head pushed back against the pillow beneath it, her eyes clenched shut as she let out a long, deep, slow moan. I was soon just as enraptured in my bliss as she was in hers. I kissed her neck as I moaned, pushing against her one last time. I felt her hand on my chest just as I let out one more small moan.

Raising up, I looked at my wife and kissed her gently before pulling away from her soft, warm body.

Perfect end to a perfect day.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm starting to think I should just quit saying I can update this more than I am. Every time I do, RL decides to be all, NOPE. This last week, my youngest has kept me busy with some issues with him and his health. Was a stressful week. Anyway, I finally got time to get this out. Also, I totally haven't forgotten about Devil In Me. It is just proving to hate me. I am having a hard time wrapping that one up how I want to.**

 **Now, for this update, everything Rose is going through in this chapter is something I went through when I was 8. We had to travel to Seattle Children's Hospital, and that was where I learned my nerve in my left ear is pretty much dead and at least part of the reason for my deafness.**

 **Thank you to Kyla713 for looking this over and putting up with me. As well as to Mo for forever reading my stuff. Any mistakes are mine.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 5-**

The night before Rose's appointments, I didn't seem to sleep much. If I did, it was only for a little amount of time before I startled awake and was back to thinking. Bella was pretty much the same—tossing and turning most of the night, but otherwise quiet. We both struggled with thinking of every possible outcome, while still wanting the absolute best for our daughter.

I felt selfish for wishing she could hear. I wanted her to hear me say I love you, or her brother's laugh, her momma's voice when she read and signed her a story. I wanted Rose to get lost in the swell of music, or get overwhelmed in a movie theater due to the all the noise and enjoy every minute of it.

I knew deep down, though, she didn't see it as her missing out on anything. At almost three years old, I doubted she figured out how different and special she truly was.

Bella, ever since the very first moment she held our daughter, she never wanted her child to go through anything she did growing up. She didn't want our daughter to be made fun of, struggle with paying attention in class, wearing hearing devices...knowing she was different than her peers. But both Bella and I knew that our Rosie had an advantage to having a deaf/hoh mom, who would be able to help and understand more than most people.

When it was time to wake the kids, I sighed and sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that we'd get some good news that day, and hopefully, our beautiful daughter would be able to hear our voices soon.

Bella turned over and kissed my lips before leaving the bed. "I'll get breakfast started, if you wake the two grumpy butts up."

I chuckled, knowing full well that our two little monsters were not at all morning people. They most likely got that from me. I needed a good strong cup of coffee to get me going most mornings.

I got out of bed and left our room, turning left down the hall toward the kids. I stepped into Toby's first, since he would be harder than his sister to wake up. He was laying on his stomach, bedding half off him, one leg over the edge.

"Come on, sleepy head," I said, nudging him softly.

"Is it snowing?" he asked, burrowing his head under his pillow, causing me to chuckle.

"Nope," I replied, bending down to grab the blankets off him. "So nice try."

"Is it super, duper cold out? Because if so, I am not leaving this bed," a muffled reply came out from under his pillow, which I then grabbed and tossed to the end of his bed.

"I'm sure it's cold, but if you want Santa to be able to visit, you better get your butt up. But...seeing how you want to take your time, I guess I'll just have to go eat your chocolate chip pancakes, and bacon, orange juice, maybe steal a sausage..."

"Ugh, okay. You drive a hard bargain," he sighed. "If I must." He slowly got out of bed, ruffled his hair and shot me a glare.

"Hey, you've had plenty of days to sleep in."

Next, was Rose. She was curled up under blankets, one eye peeking out over the covers. Someone was already awake—half my job done.

"I see you," I said and signed, pulling back her blanket.

She nodded and smiled. "Sleepy. Too early," she replied with shaky hand movements.

I nodded, opened my arms for her. She then pulled herself up into them, and laid her head on my shoulder.

Once we all ate breakfast, minus Rose, since she was having to be put under for her MRI appointment, we cleaned up, got dressed and I bundled up the kids in their coats while Bella made sure to grab all the paperwork.

Once we were at the imaging center for her MRI, where they would canvas the nerves in her brain and in and out of her Ear, we would meet up with her audiologist and ear, nose and throat specialist along with a neurologist. We would only get preliminary findings that day, but we would at least have some sort of workable plan in place for our next step.

Bella took the kids to the play area while I went up and handed over all the paperwork and insurance. Since Rose was being put under for the forty-five-minute MRI, she wasn't allowed food or drink, just in case she didn't have a good reaction to the medicine. She had to be put under so she could stay completely still while the looked at everything and administered a special hearing test, also while looking at the MRI images.

We were nervous over her being put to sleep, but were assured she'd be okay.

That still didn't help the nerves.

As soon as we were called back, they had me change Rose into a pediatric gown. Bella held her once

she was all ready and tried to sign to our daughter the best she could, in a way she would understand, somewhat what was going on.

One of us would be allowed to stay behind the MRI windows, while the doctors, audiologist and neurologist looked over the images. That way, we could still keep an eye on our daughter. Bella told me to go with Rose, since she couldn't hear over the noise and knew she'd be a mess watching Rose being put to sleep. I knew Toby would keep her occupied.

All too soon, a nurse came and told us to follow her, so I picked Rose up from Bella's lap and lifted her up in my arms. She snuggled into me instantly, her little arms wrapping as tight as they could around my neck.

The nurse led us to a cold room with an MRI machine and told me to lay her down on the pull out. Once I did that, I signed to my little love, that everything was okay. It was just nap time. She gave me a smile, but then let out a cry when the nurse started the IV and then the medicines to put her to sleep for a little while.

As soon as her eyes closed, I was ushered to the door leading to the next room, where I could keep an eye on my daughter.

The radiology tech was the first to say hi, the others followed. Her audiologist kept assuring me that everything was fine.

A few times, I noticed they kept going back to a certain area of her left side brain, look of concentration and interest overtook their faces, which only made me more nervous for her.

The audiologist administered his test, using a special headset on her and a machine that made certain sounds and such while the MRI picked up the images.

It felt like forever had passed, but at the same time...not. Just as the nurse walked back in to give the medicine to wake her up, I was led out of the room toward her.

The nurse smiled. "She did wonderful. In about fifteen minutes, she should be waking up fully. In about forty-five, you guys can go, once we get a piece of toast or something in her. "

I nodded my thanks and ran my hand down my daughter's small one.

The hardest part was over. Now, hopefully, we could get to the easier parts. The parts where we were told she was a good candidate for an implant.

Once Rose was taken to a room to wake up, I went to get my wife. I assured Bella all was okay, that she did great.

Bella placed a kiss on our daughter's cheek once she laid eyes on her. She turned around to face me, grabbed my hand and said, "Here's to hope."

 **~.~**

 **Like I said in my group on FB, if any of you ever have a question about my Deafness, hearing aids, Cochlear Implants, anything, drop me a PM. I will gladly answer.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm basing A LOT of what this family and Rose is going through on things I've gone through. Just reminding you all again. I wasn't eligible for Cochlear implants. Still not, and at this point, my age would probably work against me. Though, if I do lose more in my right ear, then my ENT would take a chance on Cochlear for me. But with only one working ear, and with 30% hearing, he wants me to lose a bit more in order to get them, and even then, I'd only be able to stay where I am at right now. So, I think I'm happy with how I am.**

 **Now, I realize that it is HIGHLY unlikely that Bella and Rose would have the same type of hearing loss, same ears, all that, but this is just fic. I'm just writing what I know.**

 **As always, thank you to Kyla713 for looking this over, and to Mo for always telling me it doesn't suck.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 6-**

Rose wasn't the happiest patient once the medicine tapered off and she started to wake up more. I was certain she wasn't at all sure how to make out what was going on or why she was feeling that way. She woke up with a scowl and some tears, and immediately looked for Bella and demanded to be held. Once she was settled in my wife's arms, the nurse came in to check her over, take vitals and ask her what kind of juice she'd like with her toast. We signed, of course, though we all knew she'd pick apple juice.

She fought having to eat, but they wouldn't let her go until she had at least something in her stomach. Eventually, after Bella promised she'd be okay and would hold her until the car ride home, she relented and finally ate. After that, the nurse was satisfied and sent us upstairs to wait for the next appointment to decide how we might move forward.

Rose burrowed into Bella's neck and was soon asleep again as we walked out of the imaging center and to the elevators.

"You got her okay, Love?" I asked, my hand holding Toby's as we waited for the elevator.

"I'm fine. I have to savor what time I have left where I am able to carry her." Bella smiled and kissed the top of our daughters head just before the ding of the elevator arriving came.

As soon as we all stepped in, Toby insisted on being able to check on his sister, so Bella bent down so he could look her over. Once he was satisfied, he kissed her cheek and came back to hold my hand.

I checked Rose in for her next appointment-one I hoped we'd get the go ahead for Cochlears. The nerves were becoming more and more real.

Bella and the kids went over by the play area, where Toby was engrossed with the Minions movie that was playing on the TV, and Rose was still out, clinging to her mama. I placed my hand on her back, feeling her breath and sent a wish to whoever was listening that we'd be walking out of there with a positive plan in place.

"I know you're stressed, but think positive, Edward. I wasn't a candidate for implants, but something in my heart is telling me that she is and that she will get to hear, even if it isn't much. I think she will still have something," Bella told me as she looked from our daughter to me. "Now wipe that worry off your face. It will be okay." She then leaned over and kissed me softly before moving back to watch Toby.

Rose slept the entire time we waited to be called back, which I supposed was probably a good thing—no meltdowns that way.

Once the nurse called us back, I motioned for Toby to follow and I could see he was nervous for his sister. So I let Bella and our daughter go on a head as I picked Toby up.

"You okay?" I asked him, hugging him to me.

Toby nodded. "I just want her to be happy and to be able to hear me read to her."

I almost choked up at his admission. We all wanted that for Rose, even if it made us feel selfish. We just wanted the best for her.

"You know that Mom says everything is going to work out? That we shouldn't worry?" He nodded and laid his head on my shoulder as I began to walk back toward the room the nurse had taken my wife and daughter. "Well, is Mom ever wrong?"

I lifted his head just as we walked into the room to join Bella and Rose. "Nope. Mom knows all," he said, laughing a little.

"You're right. Mom is never wrong, so I think we should do what she is doing right now and think positive." I set him down and smiled. "Why don't you go sit by Mom and Rose? Maybe gently wake her up?"

He set about his task, gently rubbing his sister's back until she woke. Luckily, she didn't wake up grumpy that time. Bella handed her a juice and another snack, and did the same for Toby. The team working on Rose's case chose that moment to come in.

We all shook hands, and then sat down around the table in the room they had taken us to. The neurologist set a laptop down in front of us, opening it and bringing up images from her MRI.

"Before we begin, we just want you know that these haven't been thoroughly evaluated, but we did notice some things right off the bat. Do you see this area here? And then when you look at the right side versus the left?"

Luckily, the kids were occupied with their juices and snacks, so that Bella and I could allow our eyes to scan over the images. Though, we both had no clue just what we were looking at.

"The right side looks lighter than the left?" I replied, not at all sure of myself.

"Correct. There is a reason for that," the ENT voiced that time.

I swore it felt like time stopped and everything happened in slow motion, and my gut began to churn with my worries and fears all at once. Bella grabbed my hand closest to her and squeezed three times, letting me know she loved me.

"There is no nerve interaction on that side at all. Though we can't be certain, we think that is the reason she doesn't hear. She might have very, very minimal hearing in her right, but it isn't enough to really make a difference, if that makes sense."

Bella and I just nodded.

"The nerve is dead. Completely. I am not sure how a Cochlear will work for her, or if it will even take at all."

I looked at my daughter and back at the images.

 _It's a chance we'll have to take._

 _ **~.~**_

 **Thank you all for reading!**

 **Also, if you sent me a PM, I did reply. Hopefully it went through. My net has been rather spotty lately.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Again, most of what is talked about in this chapter, I have personally gone through. And let me just say, getting fitted for hearing aids growing up was the most awkward thing ever, not to mention, it smelled. Also, that leaving the hearing aids under the car story...that was mentioned back in As Leaves Fall, and is a true story. I am totally guilty of doing that.**

 **Thank you to Kyla713 for putting up with me and looking this over, and to Mo for giving it a read through.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 7-**

Bella and I looked at each other, and then to our daughter, both of us trying to assuage the guilt of making such a huge life altering decision for her. Would she hate us if it didn't work? Would she prefer we hadn't tried in the first place? Or would she be glad?

"I know that if my mom had made the choice for me, I'd have been glad for the chance to hear. I feel guilty, but at the same time, I want my daughter to have all the chances didn't have. I want her to be able to enjoy the sounds surrounding her. Maybe it is a blessing we're starting her on this path at a young age? So maybe if it doesn't work, she won't know the difference?" Bella said, looking conflicted as she looked down at Rose, then up to the ENT.

"I can't tell you guys the words you want to hear. I can't, nor can the Neurosurgeon guarantee that she will have better hearing or any hearing at all. I wish I could sit here and say that you should do it, that it's a guaranteed outcome, but it's not. But I think I can say that it is worth a chance, right? That fate has a way of working things out in the end? At the most, I think we can get her to at least thirty percent hearing in her able ear. I'm for this." Her ENT looked confident, his eyes then shifting to the Neurosurgeon, who also nodded.

That helped us choose. We needed that push; to make us realize that some chances are more than worth taking. Even if it had a fifty percent chance of failing, it was still worth pursuing.

"I think we should," I said, grabbing Bella's free hand and squeezing.

"How soon can we get her in?" Bella asked before biting her bottom lip in nervousness.

"I'd have to consult with scheduling, but the soonest, is probably the end of January. In the meantime, I think we should fit her for her aids today, so we can get a head start on those and get her used to wearing those, at least." The audiologist pulled out his kit to fit her for her aids, quickly mixing up the pink colored goo that would go in her ears.

"Man, I hated this, every time I had to get re-fitted for mine. It was cold and very uncomfortable, and smelled horrible." Bella shook her head. "Rose is not gonna be a happy kiddo."

Both doctors laughed, before the ENT replied, "The two of us will make a quick go of it. We will each take one ear, and that way, hopefully we cut down on the fuss she will make."

Bella then grabbed Rose and situated her on her lap. The ENT moved to her left, and the audiologist to her right, both with a syringe filled with the pink goo and a string with foam that would go down in her ear canal.

Toby chose just then to speak up. "Dad, I can make her smile if she gets sad."

"You know, that might be good idea. Why don't you come here?" I told him, holding my arms open to lift him onto my lap to face his sister. Bella turned to face us, then the ENT and audiologist resituated themselves as well.

"Are we ready?" the ENT asked, just before lifting the syringe to Rose's ear, and the audiologist followed suit.

We nodded and they plugged the small foam piece and string down Rose's ears. She wasn't sure what to make of it at first, and then she let out a cry. Bella tightened her grip just a little as she tried to soothe her with touches, but it wasn't my wife that was able to comfort her.

It was Toby.

As soon as the first tear fell, he started to make silly faces at her, trying to make her laugh. It took until they got halfway through pushing the goo into her ear for her to even let out a giggle. Her big brother continued to make faces, and she'd smile, laugh and clap.

"All done!" they announced as pulled the syringe away. "Just need to let it solidify for a minute, and then we can gently tug it out and we will have our molds for her aids."

"Hopefully she doesn't do what I did when I was younger with mine," Bella said, letting out a small laugh.

I knew the memory she was talking about. She'd told me about back when we first met, about her getting sick of her aids and putting them under her parent's car when they were on vacation, and her dad drove over them. She still found it funny, but I was willing to bet that her parents didn't, with how expensive aids are.

I laughed in reply, before thanking Toby, kissing his head and telling him to grab an extra snack packet for him and his sister. As soon as he did that, I leaned forward and kissed my Rosie on the tip of her nose, causing her to let out a tiny squeal, which made me smile.

I loved that little girl with everything in me.

Once the minute was up, her doctor and audiologist gently pulled out the strings holding the molds ouT of her ear. She barely even noticed.

"My nurse will call you guys tomorrow, hopefully, with a surgery date. In the meantime, I'm gonna have you guys schedule a visit after the holidays, say January second, to place her in her loaner aids so we can make adjustments and then pick her permanent aids then. We will talk more about the Cochlear and how we will set them up after she has the surgery."

He smiled, and then he, along with her audiologist, said goodbye. We were led out to reception by the nurse to make the next appointment.

I found myself excited about her receiving her aids. It meant we were one step closer to hopefully making life just a tiny bit easier for her. In the meantime, we now had to gear Toby up for his day camp coming up, and Christmas was just two days away.

I hoped with everything that our next Christmas, we had a bubbly, happy, excited girl, who was able to hear all the sounds she could.

As I drove home, I grabbed Bella's hand in my own. I squeezed three times, telling her I loved her. She replied back with two squeezes herself.

Later that night, after I got my tired-out daughter all tucked in, I went to get Toby sorted, but as soon as I walked into the front room, my heart skipped a beat. I'd never, in all the years that had passed, gotten over seeing Toby cuddled up to Bella. He claimed her as his the second they became friends. I'd never grow tired of seeing the two of them together.

I walked over to them quietly and bent down to pick up my now sleeping son to take him to bed.

"Leave him. Please? Just for twenty more minutes?" Bella asked, and I couldn't deny her.

"Sure, love," I replied, making sure she could see my face to read my lips. "I'll go run you a bath while you get some more cuddle time in."

"I'll do that later. Why don't you sit with us for just a bit? Sometimes, we just need some Toby time. We've been so worried about Rosie, he needs us like this, too."

I sat down next to her, my arms sliding around her back, and my hand gently laid on top of my son's head. I kissed my wife gently, and then sighed in contentment as my eyes surveyed the room. I noticed Buster was under the Christmas tree, the lights blinking off his fur. I squeezed Bella to me one last time.

I never did get Toby off to bed. Instead, we were woken by a Rosie running full force on to the couch the next morning.

I wouldn't trade that wake up call for nothing. It was the best thing to see her happy first thing in the morning.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing. I truly do appreciate it. Your love for this story has made the past month a happy spot for me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys! I hope you all are having a great February so far! Mine hasn't let up on the RL being crazy busy. But on the plus side of things, Stricken is up for fic of the year of over Twificrecs Blog, if you'd like to vote! And I am up for Favorite Snuggle Fic, and Favorite Veteran Author over on TFFA blog, if you would like to vote there as well. I'm still shocked, but happy, so thank you to whoever nominated me.**

 **Thanks as always to Kyla713 for putting up with me and looking over my stuff, and Mo for reading.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 8-**

I grew up with a love of Christmas, thanks to my parents. They never told me Santa didn't exist or let us catch them in the act. There was always a present under the tree from the big guy, even though I secretly knew it was all them. I think I wanted to keep the magic alive for them as much as they did for me.

But nothing made Christmas more special than seeing it through my kids' eyes. Toby's first Christmas made me realize that it was more magical living it through children than it was any other way. When Toby was two, it was the first Christmas I knew he could really participate in. We went all out for him. In the end, he just loved the boxes more than toys. His giggles and wide-eyed expression made up for it.

Now, being married and having two kids...well, that meant more magic and loving memories. It had been a whirlwind of last minute activities after Rose's appointment. There were last minute gifts to be picked up, store runs for Bella's baked goods, and Toby decided on the Christmas Eve, of all days, to decide he needed to get to the store.

I may have acted annoyed, but deep down, I loved that he insisted that he needed to get out and get something for his mom and sister. So, we braved the masses of last minute shoppers. In the end, he chose some slippers for his mom, a unicorn stuffed animal for his sister, and chew toys for Buster. He let me know he already had something for me, but that it was a surprise and he didn't want to see me have to get coal if I found out too soon.

Before heading home, we stopped off at a coffee shop along the way. I got him hot chocolate and a muffin, along with a coffee for myself.

I helped Toby into a seat at the front of the store, and once he was situated, I placed his drink and muffin in front of him.

"Not as good as Mom's," he told me, taking a huge bite and letting crumbles fall off his chin.

"You always say that," I replied, smiling.

"Well, Dad, it's the truth. Nothing beats Mom's. She makes me the extra chocolaty ones, and they are perfect!" he asserted, just before letting out a giggle and taking a sip of his drink.

Handing him a napkin, I took a drink of my coffee. "You're right. And she only makes those for you. She calls it her Special Toby Recipe."

His return smile warmed my very soul.

"Do you think Rose will like what I got her?" He tilted his head, hope shining bright in his eyes.

I took another sip, before running my fingers across my chin at the barely-there scruff now forming. Bella insisted on me growing a beard again. I wasn't so sure how my little Rose would take that look on me. "I know she'll love it. She adores you, and treasures anything you give her. Why are you worrying?"

Toby let out a soft sigh before picking at the lid of his drink cup. "I just want her to be happy. I hate that doctors are prodding her." He looked over his cup at me, a small frown on his face.

"I hate it, too. But you know what? You're a very special, kind brother to worry about that. I don't want you to worry. I know it is hard to see your sister have to go through all she is, when you really just want to make it all better. Life is complicated like that," I said, my voice becoming slightly scratchy while I tried to get a handle on my emotions. "So, how about you worry about making her squeal with happiness and smiling, while I worry about what she's going through? You making her happy is enough, Toby. I bet she doesn't even realize all that is going on, but what she will remember out of this is you making her smile, giving her plushies, and reading to her. She won't forget that. Sometimes, all the good far outweighs the bad."

Toby held his hand out for me to shake. "Deal." He nodded, smiling more now. "But if she ends up crying at all, I'm telling Mom that her tears are all on you."

Letting out a loud laugh, I playfully gave him a slight noogie. "Fine. I'll gladly take the blame for that, just this once." I picked up my coffee, taking one last drink. "What do you say we head home and get things sorted for Santa?"

He nodded and slid off his chair, while I grabbed his drink and rest of his muffin to take with him.

"Rosie can have the other half of my muffin, but the hot chocolate is all mine."

I walked out of the shop laughing, feeling lighter instantly.

The second we walked through the door, the smell of gingerbread overtook our senses. I walked up behind my wife and kissed her neck softly before wrapping my arms around her.

"Edward! You scared the crap out of me." She playfully glared back at me over her shoulder.

"Sorry! I thought you saw me, you looked right at Toby when he came through," I said, sneaking some of the frosting and licking it off my finger, which only caused my wife to shoo me away.

I found my kids huddled by the Christmas tree, playing with cars.

"Toby, get your sis and help her wash her hands before you give her the muffin."

I left them to do their thing while I set about hiding the presents Toby had brought home. My eyes fell on all the wrapped presents that were due to go under the tree soon. I found myself hoping that the magic of Christmas would always be there for my kids like it was for me—and still continued to be.

A short time later—after we spent a good portion of the afternoon decorating a gingerbread house and some Christmas cookies—I found myself cuddled up with my kids watching Rudolph on the TV while Bella started prep for the meal tomorrow and fixing us up a small feast for Christmas Eve.

Rose didn't seem to interested in the program. She just sat cuddled in my arms, her eyes moving from the TV, to the Christmas tree, to her brother. I knew that once she got the implants, and if they took hold, she'd love the TV a bit more. Then once she could read, closed captioning would be a huge help.

I silently hoped that the following Christmas, she would still want to sit in my lap as we watched this movie and she'd be laughing as she got lost in the tale.

"Hey guys, dinner," Bella said, then signed for Rose, before picking her up out of my arms.

Toby was excited at dinner. He pretty much talked all the way through it, losing steam once his mom brought him and his sister a cookie for desert.

I was helping Bella with the dishes when Toby came in, looking tired. He pulled on my shirt, wanting me to turn around. "Dad...Can Rose and I sleep in my room? Buster, too?"

He rarely asked for this, so there was no way would I tell him no. Bella gave me a nod. "I think we can work that out. Why don't you go help your sister brush her teeth, and I'll get your bedroom ready."

Toby's bed was a full size, so I pulled back the bedding and got Rose her pillow and favorite stuffed animal. Then, I went to check on the little minions, finding them playing with water in the bath. I leaned over from behind them and turned off the water. "Go get in your pj's and get Buster up to your room. I'll help Rosie. Are you going to read to her?"

"Yeah, I think I put 'Twas The Night Before Christmas out on my table," he said, before going to his room to change.

I helped sort Rose into her pajamas, kissed her check softly and signed that it was bedtime. She replied with a nod and a yawn; I knew it wouldn't be long before she was conked out.

A few minutes later, I got them both sorted into Toby's bed, Buster laying at the end. I gave them both kisses and said goodnight, ruffling Buster's fur on the way out.

I found my wife curled up with a glass of wine on our couch, watching the fire burning in the fireplace, the presents all around the Christmas tree. All we had left were the stockings.

"I grabbed you a beer, and us some cookies," she said, snuggling into me once I sat down.

I kissed her softly, slowly. "Thank you, beautiful."

She smiled, laying her head on my shoulder as we both sipped our drinks slowly. Soon, we sorted out the stockings, left the cookies and milk out for Santa, both of us eating another cookie and making sure to leave the crumbs for the kids to find.

Just before we headed to bed, I peeked in on my kids. Both were fast asleep, Toby with the book draped across his chest and Rose cuddled in on her brother, while Buster was curled around their feet, content. I quietly walked in and grabbed the book, placing it on his bedside table and kissed both of them once more on the top of their heads gently.

 **~.~**

The next morning came all too soon. I was woken up by Toby running into our room and jumping on our bed.

"Dad! We've let you sleep long enough! And if you don't want Rose getting into it all..." he said, running back out, laughing excitedly.

Bella and I hurried out of bed, grabbing our robes along the way. I soon found myself entirely glad that we set up the coffee pot the night before once I looked at the clock.

Five a.m.

I took a long sip and hoped I'd feel more awake. Once my wife and I sat down, Toby began handing out presents, and I couldn't bring myself to get mad that he woke us up entirely too early. Rose's wide eyes and huge smiles as she opened her presents more than helped make up for it.

As I looked around my family among the ripped wrapping paper, stocking stuffers, toys and whatever else, my heart felt full.

"Dad?" Toby asked as he handed me a wrapped present. "I made you this."

I carefully opened it, and inside I found a framed picture of all of us and a letter taped inside of the frame next to the picture, with Toby's handwriting all over it.

 **Dad-**

 **You make every Christmas special. You make this family perfect. I just wanted you to know that I thank you.**

 **Toby.**

 **P.S. Mom helped me**

I pulled my son up in my arms and held him to me, kissing the top of his head.

"Thank you. I love it. I love you."

The kids didn't last much longer after breakfast, but once they woke up from their nap, they were back at it, with playing with their new toys, and I couldn't ask for a better Christmas.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you guys for reading! I look forward to your thoughts!**

 **About six more chapters to go!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! I almost had a tiny freak out over the fact my net has been super slow today and my word program freezing. I kept all things crossed both things would let me post with no problems.**

 **Have you guys seen the absolutely beautiful and amazing banner that Mina has made for this story? I am in love! She is so amazing at what she creates! Forever blowing me away.**

 **As always, thank you to Kyla713 for looking this over, and to Mo for reading.**

 **Chapter is a bit shorter than most, but the cute factor is high.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 9-**

The week between Christmas and New Year's passed in a blur. Between taking Toby to the day camp Jasper had signed him up for, taking Rosie sledding and multiple snowballs fights, and then poor Buster got into the kid's candy, which resulted in a visit to the vet. That was in experience all in itself.

However, with the New Year came new hopes. Long after the kids had passed out and I kissed my lovely wife as the clock struck midnight and, we both sighed and made a wish that everything would work out in the coming year. We hoped that Rosie would love her aids, the cochlear would take and she'd finally get to hear all our voices.

I dreamed about that constantly. I'd picture in my head how her eyes would go wide with wonder, how she would possibly cry with the new sounds, but then laugh and smile once she heard our voices. I had to cling to that dream. All I wanted was my girl happy, hearing or not.

A few days after the New Year, we found ourselves back at the Audiologist. They had called letting us know that her aids were in, since she'd need to get used to them before the cochlear was put in. It was an intrusion to have something in one's ears at all times, especially when the individual weren't used to it. The aids would be on, but she wouldn't be able to hear anything until the implants were inserted.

As we sat and waited for our little family to be called back, Bella turned to me and said, "I really hope she isn't like me when it comes to these aids, and I end up finding them everywhere."

I laughed in reply. "Well, Rosie is a lot like you with attitude, so..."

Bella glared at me and hitched Rosie higher up in her lap. "No, I'm pretty sure she gets it all from you."

I shook my head, chuckling as I looked over at Toby playing with a car in front of me. "Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, my love."

"I'll show you denial..." Bella grumbled.

I took her hand and squeezed it. "Five bucks says she puts her aids in one of her favorite hiding places the first night."

Bella countered my wager. "Ten bucks says she hides them in her bed."

Toby spoke up then. "If I win, I wanna go to the trampoline place. I say she's gonna hide them in the cupboard by the stairs. It's where she hides all my cars."

We all shook hands, while I secretly hoped Toby was right. I knew how bad he wanted to go to the trampoline play place.

Finally, the audiologist called us back. He sat us down and had Rosie sit on Bella's lap facing him. "Okay. I know Bella knows how these work," he said, winking at my wife. "But I will let you and Toby know, too."

Toby instantly stood up straighter, proud to be included.

The doctor went through how to make sure it was at the right level, how to turn it off and on, and then he showed us how to gently place them in Rose's ear and then take it out.

Rosie was not at all happy with that. She started crying and kept putting her hands on her ears, wanting whatever was bothering her away from them.

He placed the aids in one last time, making sure the rubber part for the inner ear fit perfectly, and they did. Though, with Rose repeatedly trying to take them out, I knew instantly it was going to be a long few weeks until her surgery.

Bella tried to placate her, offering her a toy and then a snack to try and keep her occupied on something else in the hopes that she'd eventually forget that she had something in her ears.

That only worked for so long. She got them out right before we were leaving the office, once the audiologist double checked our next appointment with him, which was after the surgery and when he and the ENT would sync up the cochlear implants and hopefully they'd take. After that, they'd then give her another hearing test. We hoped we'd see at least a difference in her test versus the last one.

Toby signed to his sister to be good and to let him place them back in her ears, which he did, with little fuss from his sister that time, to the surprise of us all. With that, we finally got our little family back on the road home. On the way, he promised her some time with his favorite car race track since she kept them in.

Bella sighed happily at that. She loved how much the truly got along. I loved the little moments like that, and secretly hoped they'd last forever.

Later that night, at bath time, I noticed her aids were no longer in her ears. I was getting ready to take them out while the bath was filling.

Not a second later, Toby came running in with a smug look on his face, his fist closed and held out to me. "So, I think we should do the trampoline place the day before her surgery. That way she'll have fun before it."

"Sure of yourself, are you?" I replied, smiling.

"Just like I said, in the cupboard, next to my lightning McQueen car that she likes to take all the time," he told me seriously before losing it and laughing. "I knew I'd win the bet!"

"Well, a deal is a deal, bud." We shook on it, and then Toby placed his sister's aids on the counter before walking back out.

I placed my darling girl in the bath, and then got down on my knees on the floor to face her while handed her the bath toys.

"You hid them?" I signed, trying not to smile.

She nodded, while grabbing a toy that shot water.

"Be careful. You need them," I signed, while also vocalizing it, so she'd watch my lips.

She nodded again, then handed me a toy, signaling it was time for me to play with her.

I couldn't deny her anything.

After bath, I placed the aids in her ears one last time for the next hour before bed, when I would take them out again.

Fifteen minutes later, after I last put them in, I found them in her bed when I went to get it ready for her.

I shook my head and chucked—Bella's mini me completely.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! I hope you've all had a good weekend! I wanted to congratulate all who made it to round two in the TFFA's!**

 **Many thanks to Kyla713 for looking this over. Any mistakes are mine. I may have tinkered just a tiny bit before posting.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 10-**

It was a rare morning when we got a to sleep in on a weekend, and I planned to take full advantage of it. The house was quiet, probably too quiet, but the pull of my wife lying next to me, all nice and warm, was way too strong.

I turned over, ran my hands across her waist and pulled her to me, kissing her neck just below her ear softly.

Bella sighed into me as she wiggled her butt. I pinched it softly, which caused the sweetest giggle to escape her.

"Good morning," I whispered and began kissing down her neck to her shoulders, pulling the strap of her tank top down.

"Mm, morning," she voiced softly before turning around to face me and kiss me on the lips.

I knew it was only a matter of time before our munchkins made their presence known, so I had to work fast, yet efficient.

Pulling her tank top off, I kissed her lips once more, before moving down, across her breast and to her stomach. I nibbled teasingly the closer I got to her pajama bottoms.

"Dad!" I heard Toby yell and I groaned. My head hit Bella's hip bone softly as I muttered, "You've gotta be kidding me."

The softest of giggles made me look up at my wife. She had the most radiant smile on her face as she looked down at me. "You didn't work fast enough, mister."

I glared.

"Dad!" Our doorknob now jingled as Toby got to our room. "You need to wake up."

I kissed my wife's stomach and handed her tank top before getting up and out of bed. I opened the door to our room and peaked out at my son. "You do know the sun isn't even up yet."

"I know, but I felt like this was super, super important," Toby replied, grinning.

"Well, I am up now. I don't suppose you have the coffee ready?" I asked, smirking.

My son looked at me and tilted his head. "I'm six. I can't make coffee."

"Well, we need to fix that if you're waking me up before the sun," I told him before stepping out and closing the door softly. "Now what is so important."

"Dad..." Toby stood in front of me, hands on his hips. "You are gonna be waiting a long while for me to ever make coffee, I'm still shorter than the cabinet."

Laughing, I ruffled his hair. "You may have a point there, but I had to try. Now again, what is so important."

"Uhhhh, now don't get mad." Toby grabbed my hand and began leading me down the hall. His comment made me nervous. It was every parent's worst four words a kid can ever utter, because it's almost a certainty that the kid has done something that will make a parent mad. Well, in most cases, anyway.

He led me to the front room, where I found Rose lying next to Buster, who looked incredibly guilty—if a dog could look guilty, that was.

"Why are you two up, and why does Buster look like I am about to take away his favorite treats?"

Toby shifted from side to side, his eyes going back and forth between his dog and sister. "Well, the answer to that would be...errrm, well... uhh, you are gonna wanna take away his fave treats, and Rose's fave doll, and change my bedtime."

 _It is way too early to be dealing with a crisis._

"Rose woke me up, so she's been up longer than me. And when she took me to her room..." Toby sighed. "I'm just gonna cut to the chase, Dad. Buster ate one of Rose's aids."

I was speechless. It was rare when my kids rendered me speechless, but really, what could be said in that situation, besides a whole lot of curse words?

"Are you sure? Absolutely sure?"

 _Does insurance cover hearing aid damage due to dog eating it? There goes three grand..._

"I'm pretty sure. And I found the other one in the closet again," he replied, handing me the other aid.

"Keep Rose company, and don't let that dog move an inch," I told him before walking back to our room.

"So, what did our kids do?" Bella sleepily asked.

"Our kids and the dog. Can you hand me the phone? I need to call the emergency vet."

Her eyes went wide before she handed me the phone. I called and relayed the info to the receptionist, who then got me on with the on-call vet. I kept looking at my wife, who sat there, shaking her head.

"She's me times two!" Bella said, getting out of bed and stomping out of the room.

I hurried and got dressed, preparing to take Buster to the vet.

Just before I went to put Buster on his lead to get him out to the car, I was met with a laughing Bella. She held out her hand, and in it, held a very slobber covered hearing aid.

"He threw it up," Bella told me, "Look on the bright side, he saved us a huge vet bill after all."

"Maybe, but I think he just added some gray hairs and deducted five years from my life due to that," I grumpily said, tugging at my hair.

I then called the vet, told them it was a false alarm, and then made coffee. Coffee was going to be needed to make it through the rest of this day.

To weigh out the stress of the morning, we then told the kids we'd take them to the trampoline play place, but not before laying out a few new rules about the hearing aids. We let them know that wasn't such a great thing to have happen, and that it couldn't do so again. So, from now on, whenever it was bed time, we were taking her aids and placing them on top of the fridge. We used to keep them on top of one of the cupboards where we kept our car keys so we wouldn't forget them.

We had just two more days before Rose's big surgery for her Cochlear implants, so I hoped letting them play a few hours at the Trampoline play area would tucker them out and hopefully destress us all before then. I knew we definitely needed it after the morning we had.

The kids had a blast jumping from play area to play area, and trampoline after trampoline. Bella sat it out, and I was most definitely feeling my age. I was hurting in places I didn't know I could hurt, but I couldn't complain. My kids laughed and shrieked with happiness, and when it came time to leave, there were happy but tuckered out.

That night, before bed, I gave Buster all the loves and a few rounds of throwing the tennis ball in the back yard. Just before I locked up for the night, I thanked him for not swallowing my daughter's hearing aid. I signed it, of course, since he couldn't hear, but I doubt he understood me,

I locked up, and then laughed to myself at how crazy the day had been thanks to a dog swallowing a hearing aid. Right when I walked into our room, I chuckled once more. I jokingly wondered what would've happened if the hearing aid battery had died and the beeping came from Buster's stomach. I imagined that would've made for a very interesting case for the vet.

"Stop laughing and make up for us being interrupted this morning," Bella said, patting the bed and smiling.

 _Well, who was I to deny my wife?_

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading! I look forward to your thoughts. Hoping Ffn finally has sorted out all of the problems it has been having.**


	11. Chapter 11

**My plan is to hopefully write the remaining four chapters this week and then post as soon as I get them back. That way, no more week long waiting for the next chapter. I'm kind of sad only four remain. I'll miss these guys once I hit The End.**

 **Thank you, as always, to Kyla713 for looking this over for me. I tinkered a tiny bit with it before posting, so any and all mistakes are mine.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 11-**

I'd never really been a nervous person. I was always rational, never letting my nerves get the best of me. Since becoming a husband and father, though, that changed. Through Bella's pregnancy, I was a wreck, constantly worrying. It got to the point that Bella took all baby related books away from me until the Rose's birth, and even then, I was a wreck.

Huge, monumental change was hard.

And now, after one wedding and two kids, I found myself the most nervous yet. Like, pit of your stomach, nauseous, sweats type nervous. Rose's surgery wasn't even due to take place for another twenty-four hours, yet I sat at her doctor's office the day before for pre-surgery checkup, with my heart pounding like it might quit on me, and my stomach in my throat. Not a good combination, if you ask me.

Rose, though, didn't have a care in the world. She was happily playing cars with her brother while Bella and I were slowly losing our nerves. Eventually, just before the nurse called us back, I had to place my hand on Bella's rapidly bouncing knee.

"Calm down, please?" I asked, leaning in to kiss her cheek softly.

"I can't, and I know you can't either," she replied, biting her thumb nail after.

"I know. I know it's not rational, but it is hard to think about the what if." I honestly told her, while looking on at my kids. "What if they say that they can't do this after all? That maybe they were wrong about her being a good candidate? What if it doesn't take?"

Bella's eyes grew soft as she turned to look at me, and complete understanding was what I found staring back at me. "I get it. Trust me. The same thoughts have been on constant rotation since we were told her hearing could be a real possibility soon. But honey, they wouldn't have brought us this far if they didn't want to follow through."

I nodded, knowing she was right, and as I looked at her, I wished she had the same opportunity as our daughter was soon to get. I knew Bella was content and happy with what hearing she did have and didn't mind her aids, but I sometimes wished she could hear all that I could. And there were even times I forgot how truly bad her hearing was. I'd kick myself after, when I'd ask her if she could hear some noise outside or make a comment about the crickets chirping in the summer, and she'd get a look of longing on her face. I knew, deep down, she wouldn't change anything and that she loved her life. To me, it seemed purely selfish that I wished she had more. I wanted her, just like my daughter, to have everything this life could offer.

The nurse called us back, and I scooped up my daughter, while Bella held Toby's hand as we walked back to meet with her ENT. The nurse motioned for me to sit down on the bed with Rose, while she took her vitals before walking out.

It didn't take long for her doctor to come in. He spent the time going over the plan with us. They would only be inserting one implant, which would be for her good ear, instead of both. They wanted to see if it would take first, since the nerve was dead in the other ear. Cochlears worked with the nerve and inner ear to send sounds signals to the brain, so I could see why they were wary to take a chance on the ear with the dead nerve. The plan was to also keep her aids in along with the implant—double the help.

The mention of stitches and cutting into her head ramped up my nerves once again, and when I looked over at my wife, I could tell I wasn't alone. The doctor noticed and assured us both that she was in good hands, that the incision really wasn't that big. Rationally, we both knew we could trust him, as he'd done thousands of cochlear implants, but the worries were still there.

He then went into how to care for the surgery site, bandages and what to expect before and after surgery. It all seemed so much, but I had to keep telling myself that the outcome will be more than worth it.

Just before we left to go, we had to make sure to make an appointment for three weeks after surgery, and then another one three weeks after that, the final one being to turn on her implant after healing. That was our endgame—six weeks from now, our daughter would hopefully hear our voices.

"Oh, before I forget..." Her doctor stood up and handed us a checklist. "No letting her eat or drink after midnight. See you guys at seven tomorrow morning."

"I'll be careful and not feed our little Gremlin," I said, stupidly making a joke, but it caused Bella to laugh, so all was not lost on my endeavor.

The doctor chuckled. "Go home, relax. Six weeks from now, hopefully we will have a little girl experiencing her first sounds."

That night, both kids seemed clingy, or maybe it was just me and my wanting my kids close with such a huge thing happening the next day. Bella got it, though, and didn't make me feel needy or stupid in wanting my kids close. So, we decided to make a blanket fort in the living room and all camped out there.

The alarm going off the next morning came all too soon. Sleepily, Bella and I got ready, while letting the little ones sleep for just a bit longer. Twenty minutes before we were due out the door, we woke the kids up. Toby was not the happiest, but when we told him that he was to hang out with Jasper while Rose was in surgery, it made up for waking up so early.

We dropped him off, after he gave lots of kisses to his sister and wished her luck. Then all too soon, we were at the hospital. Nerves overtook me once again, and as I carried my sleepy daughter, I squeezed my wife's hand as we walked into the entrance, to the elevators and up to the surgery suite.

I had to take each moment on its own to get through this day. First, her surgery check-in, the surgery, post-op, and then moving her up to the floor for an overnight stay. I just hoped everything went smoothly.

Emotionally, Bella and I were a mess but we were doing our best at keeping it together, not wanting to set off Rose. She was the one who didn't understand anything that was going on, and last thing I wanted was for her to cry.

We were taken back, and vitals and blood were taken. Rose wasn't at all happy over that, but Bella was able to distract her while the blood was taken, and a IV was put in place.

It was all becoming more and more real, that soon my daughter would be put to sleep, cut into, and hopefully, the implant would take.

All too soon, we were told to say goodbye and that we'd see her soon. Both Bella and I kissed on our daughter, signed to her that we loved her and would see her soon. Way too quickly for my liking, Rose was then taken back for surgery and we were led out to the waiting room.

The next hour dragged, and I paced back and forth as Bella watched on, while her right leg bounced in nervousness.

As we waited, I thought back to the fiasco with Buster and the hearing aid. Bella made me leave a message with the audiologist about the hearing aid, who then promptly called me back telling me to just use a bleach wipe to clean it and then set it up to dry. He said that it should be okay, and if not, to bring in it. Apparently, we weren't the first to call him with that problem. And he was right, it worked and charged fine overnight.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?"

I turned my head, noticing her doctor was standing there, waiting for us and smiling.

"All went well. The insertion went as smoothly as we'd like it to. She's being wheeled into Recovery. You'll be able to see her soon."

We thanked him, and I turned to hug and kiss my wife.

Thirty minutes later, a nurse came and took us back to Recovery to see Rose. The minute we walked in, Rose sleepily opened her eyes.

All the worries melted away the second she smiled and put her arms up for her Momma.

 _One hurdle down, a few more to go._

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**So, this WILL be marked complete by the end of this week. I'll be sending off chapters 13 and 14 as well as the epilogue to my beta tonight. I will update when I get those back. So, I might post every day, or every other day. Either way, it will be complete at the end of the week. I'm sad about that. I've loved writing this family.**

 **Thank you, as always, to Kyla713. Any mistakes are mine. And a huge thank you to Mo for reading this and letting me know I don't suck at writing all this fluff.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 12-**

The overnight stay in the hospital with Rose wasn't an easy one at all. She slept most of the afternoon after her surgery, due to the medicine making her drowsy, but when it came time to finally eat, she was not having it. Bella and I knew it was mostly due to the unfamiliar surroundings, and probably the way the pain medication and the aftereffects of surgery were making her feel, and she wasn't sure how to process it.

Toby tried to lessen it for her. When Jasper and Alice came to visit, he asked Jasper if he'd take him home to get some stuff for his sister. They came back and Toby had his arms full of things, including his sister's favorite blanket, teddy bear and sippy cup, as well as a bag of toy cars he'd had Jasper carry in. Bella's eyes watered up at the sight at how much Toby really adored and took care of his sister.

My son ignored everyone else and focused on Rose. He placed her blanket on the bed, asked me to fill up her cup for her, and put her teddy bear next to her. He then climbed up and held his arms open for her. When she snuggled up to him, she held on tight, and he didn't let go.

"I love you, Rosie," Toby said, his head on top of his sister's.

The two of them laid like that for a while. He finally got her to start nibbling on her dinner, making silly faces as he got her to eat a bite, but once she was done, she was cranky and crying, and only wanted her Momma.

Bella pulled her into her arms and tried unsuccessfully to calm her. Rose held on tight and wouldn't let go. I tried my best to soothe my daughter while she was in her mother's arms, but again, she wasn't having it. It took a nurse coming in to say she was due for her next dose of pain medication, that we all then pieced it together.

She wasn't sure how to process the pain she was feeling, so of course, that triggered a meltdown. I couldn't blame her at all, knowing I'd be just as cranky.

Once given the medicine, her eyes began to droop and her arms went limp around her mom. Bella nodded at me then to help her lay her down, so we didn't disturb the IV that was currently in her tiny arm.

During the whole episode, we had forgotten that Jasper and Alice were still visiting. I apologized, but they shook their heads and smiled.

"Why don't you let me take Toby back to our house. Jasper has a new game he wanted to show him anyway, and I think you guys could use a tiny break," Alice said, nodding toward Rosie and Bella. "Just call us when you guys are heading home and we'll bring him home then. I had him pick up some pajamas and clothes for tomorrow."

I looked over at Toby, who was now laying down next to his sister in bed, his arms gently cuddling her. I walked over to the tiny bed and placed my hand on his back, leaning down to whisper. "What do you think? Want to go home with Jasper and Alice for the night?"

He nodded, worry overtaking his sweet face. "But will Rosie be okay? What if she gets scared?"

I loved him so much for always worrying over his little sister. He made my heart burst with how much he wanted to protect her. I gently pulled him up and away from Rose, and into my arms. "Mom and I will be here all night. I will call you first thing in the morning to let you know how she is. She's probably gonna be out the rest of the night because of the medicine they are giving her. Go have fun with Jasper and Alice. Maybe they will stop off for some ice cream?"

He nodded again, then asked me to let him down, but not before hugging me and telling me he loved me. I watched as he walked over Bella and did the same. They had their own conversation, before hugging once more.

"Thanks. I really appreciate you and Alice helping," I signed to Jasper.

He smiled and shook his head, bringing his hands up to sign. "It is no bother. I love those kids. I'll make sure he has a good night. I even went and bought Thor: Ragnarok. He was telling me in the car that Loki is the best." Jasper laughed. "Take it easy, okay? And let little miss know we love her?"

I nodded and signed goodnight, and they left soon after.

Rosie woke a few times in the night, most likely due to pain and knocking her head in her sleep. Eventually, we gave up on sleeping, and I decided to hold my daughter in my arms all night. She slept soundly until morning then.

The doctor came in just after breakfast. He looked her over, gently brushing his fingers across the surgery site. "It is looking good," he told us, nodding as he took one more glance at her chart. "Don't forget to clean it. Make sure you read over the aftercare papers and call me if there are any problems or worries. The sutures should dissolve on their own."

We were discharged soon after, and Alice and Jasper, along with Toby, met us at home. We spent the rest of the day playing and watching movies, trying to keep life somewhat normal for our girl.

Three weeks passed by amazingly fast and Rose kept us on our toes. She was constantly on the go and put up fights when we needed to clean her suture site, but other than that, it was like she never even had surgery to begin with.

At her three week checkup, we were given the all clear. Although still tender, it was clean and healed up perfectly. The sutures had dissolved and the swelling was down.

As we were walking out to double check the next appointment, and hopefully her last for a while, the ENT stopped us in the hall. "Are you guys ready? Excited?"

Bella spoke first. "All I want is for her to be happy. If this works and she hears, my life will be made. I won't be able to contain my happiness. But if it doesn't, I'll still make sure she has the best possible life, full of love and all the fun."

I grabbed my wife and pulled her to me. "I'm excited. I have such a good feeling about this, about her future."

The doctor then kneeled down to Toby. "And what about you?"

Toby shyly replied, "I have so many things to play for her, I can't wait! What if she doesn't like Light Saber noises?"

The doctor laughed. "Well, I bet she will. She's like Princess Leia and the force is strong within her."

Toby smiled, and we left that office with the most uplifting feeling.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here it is, guys. THE chapter you've all been waiting for. This may be my fave chapter. One more regular chapter and Epilogue left. They will post before Saturday.**

 **Thank you to Kyla713 for forever putting up with me. And to Mo for reading and giving me all the shouty caps.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 13-**

It had been three weeks.

Three weeks of stress. Three weeks of trying to keep a sense of normalcy for the kids, and three weeks of trying not to get our hopes up.

Bella was especially a nervous wreck. She'd constantly hug both of our kids, but would linger with Rose. She'd have tears in her eyes when she held our daughter, and I knew it was because she wanted her to have the world, to hear everything she could, to have this amazing opportunity and for her to get the most out of this life.

Toby, on the other hand, was a ball of excitement. There wasn't a moment that went by where he didn't ask if his sister would be able to hear this soon, or what sound did I think she'd like best? Through the last three weeks, there were many instances where I found him going through our DVDs and setting aside the ones he wanted his sister to watch, since, in his words, they had the best sound effects.

One night, a few days before our huge appointment to turn on the implants, I found Toby in his room, sitting on his bed and holding a copy of The Force Awakens. I walked in and sat beside him. "What's up, bud?" I asked, my eyes searching his face.

He tilted his head up, giving me a tiny smile. "I can't choose what I want her to watch that first day. This one..." He then held up a copy of Captain America: The First Avenger. "Or this one. Though, I think she'd like Rey more. Plus, all of the cool Light Saber sounds."

I felt my heart burst with love. I still couldn't wrap my head around how lucky I was to have an amazing life with an equally amazing family. Somehow, I was chosen to have the best, to have kids that love each other so much, and a wife who makes every day better than the last.

"I love how you want to make sure she hears everything. That you want her to experience your favorite movies the way you do. This makes me happy. At the same time, Toby, I want you to remember that she might feel overwhelmed if her implant turns on and works. Think about all the new sounds that will bombard her. She might feel a bit scared."

He nodded and looked down at the bed. "I know. I just...I want her to be happy. I know she's happy now, but I really want her to watch something and be happy and laugh and ooh at all the things I do. I want her to hear, but I won't be mad if she doesn't." He then sat up straighter, crawled over to me and sat on my lap, laying his head on my shoulder.

"Have I told you how much you amaze me? How selfless you are? I never in all my years ever thought I'd have this life. And you know what, Toby? From the moment you were born, you've made my life infinitely better. In so many ways, I can't even list them all. But what really made my life?" I asked him, squeezing him to me, which caused his face to turn toward mine and his wide eyes stay glued to me. "It was the moment you saw your baby sister for the first time. You didn't care if she had ten fingers or ten toes, or if she had the same hair or eye color. All you wanted from the moment you laid eyes on her was to hold her. Do you remember what you said the first time you held her?"

My son shook his head, his eyes misty.

"You looked at me, and then to your mom, and you said, 'She's perfect.'" I began to feel a bit choked up as I watched my son's face. "You leaned down and kissed her head, then you refused to give her up until she needed to be fed. You wouldn't even let the nurse take her. You guys were bonded from that moment. Nothing can separate you. And that is how I know that no matter what happens with the implant, you'll be there for her, guiding her and helping her through this crazy thing called life."

A tear slid down his face, and he then crashed himself to me. I knew the stress of the last few weeks and the nerves were hitting everyone, because we all just wanted the best for our Rose. But whatever happened, we'd still be a family, and we'd still love each other just as much, if not more.

That night, I found Toby checking over Rose, making sure she was comfortable before he snuck back into his bedroom. I had a feeling we'd have a lot of nights of him constantly checking on his sister.

The next few days passed by slower than we'd have liked it to. It felt like it had taken ages to get to where were now. Because Toby had returned to school after winter break, he made us promise he'd get to go to his sister's appointment, even if it was during school hours. Bella and I choose to just keep him home that day. We figured he'd be too nervous and wondering how things went to focus on school anyway.

The morning of the appointment, I laid in bed and cuddled my wife before waking the kids. I leaned in and kissed her neck softly, my arms pulling her closer to me as I spooned her from behind. "I love you so much."

She hummed and turned her head so I could kiss her lips. She replied with her way of saying I love you, which was squeezing my hand three times. It was our thing, and the moment seemed to call for quiet. We just laid there, holding each other, breathing one another in as we reconnected before starting a day that could change the course of our lives.

Eventually, we got up and dressed. Just before we left our room, I grabbed her and kissed her once more, longer and slower than before. "Whatever happens, I am so very thankful for you guys. If she hears, if this implant takes, my happiness will know no bounds. If it doesn't, nothing changes, she's still our Rose. She'll always be our Rose."

Bella smiled, a tear trailed slowly down her cheek. "I have a good feeling about today. I barely slept last night. My stomach is a ball of nerves, but Rose has always been full of surprises. Why should she stop now?"

My wife had a point. I laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind me before going separate ways—me to Rose's room, her to Toby's.

Rose woke up slowly and immediately wanted up in my arms. I held her to me, kissing her head gently as I walked out to the kitchen to start breakfast. I sat her down, signing to her that I loved her and good morning. Toby came out a few minutes later, looking all sorts of sleepy and trying to wake up.

Breakfast was a slow affair, but Toby and Rose played their cars while eating. I couldn't find it in me to tell them no. They needed this moment.

On the way to the doctors later that morning, Toby was quiet, but held his sister's hand, constantly looking over at her. Bella stared out the window as I drove. I was a mess of nerves, and every time I looked in my rear-view mirror, I had the urge to pull over and just grab my daughter and hold on to her.

It didn't take long to be called back once at the doctor's office. We had to make sure everything lined up and fit perfectly before turning the device on. Her hearing aids were in and we were ready to go. The tech turned to face the computer, opening up a program before turning to us and placing the actual device into the implant. Rose was in Bella's lap, not at all sure what was going on, but my wife had her arms wrapped tightly around our daughter. Toby was in my lap, and we were in a chair opposite of Rose and Bella.

"Are we ready? Shall I turn it on?" the tech asked just before there was a knock at the door. It was Rose's ENT.

"I couldn't miss the big moment," he said, a huge smile on his face as he walked in and shut the door.

"Okay. I'm turning it on now." The tech turned toward the computer, dragged the mouse around and I heard it click as she pressed whatever she did in the program.

The whole room grew silent in anticipation.

I knew the moment my daughter could hear. Her eyes grew huge, and she looked all around the room as she tried to find the source of the offending sound.

"Hi, my little love," I said, not signing, but voicing. The moment she took in my voice, she began to cry. It was a new thing for her, scary and overwhelming, so I couldn't blame her. I bet she was feeling a million things at once and not sure at all how to process it all.

I heard a sob and turned to Bella, finding her holding my daughter in her arms with Rose's head nestled under her neck. Bella was kissing her all over her face.

Toby shied back. He had climbed off my lap and hid behind me, not sure what to do, so I brought him around to face me. "You okay?"

He nodded, and then took a huge calming breath in just before walking over to his sister. He gently placed his hand on her back and said almost too quietly, "I love you, sister."

In that moment, my emotions got the best of me, and the tears overtook me. I wouldn't have traded the last five minutes for all the gold in the world.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here is the last regular chapter of this little fic. I've really enjoyed writing this story, and it truly means a lot to me. Writing As Leaves Fall and now this, made me realize how much more open I am becoming with my own Deafness, and bringing people into my little world about my life. I usually don't share a lot of about it unless you are close to me. These two stories are the most open I've ever been with embracing my deafness. I definitely think, maybe sometime in the future, I'll be writing another story with another Deaf character. We shall see.**

 **The Epilogue will post tomorrow. I'll give my proper thanks to all you amazing people then. For now, thank you to Kyla713 for looking all of this over. And to Mo, for telling me to stop worrying, that it really is great.**

 **Now, I hope this last chapter is all you hoped it'd be. Enjoy.**

 **~.~**

 **Chapter 14-**

I'd like to have said that the last few weeks with Rose had been easy, that she was taking to hearing new things with no complications. Unfortunately, it had been a lot of crying, meltdowns and straight up ignoring us. I knew I couldn't blame her. Her world was changing fast, and it had to be scary for small child to go through all the changes that were now swirling around her. I knew that if I were in her shoes, I'd be just as disoriented and scared as well.

I wished I could somehow make it all easier on her, but I also knew that we were essentially having to go through all of her milestones that she should've hit when she was a baby, had she been able to hear perfectly.

I still wouldn't have traded my angel for anything. She brought a smile to each day and filled my heart with love, even when she'd scream and cry.

The first time she cried and heard it, she stopped for a minute, went totally silent, and then screamed and cried again. I think that was the moment that she realized, _hey! I can make noise, too. That's me I'm hearing!_

Bella thought the meltdowns and her acting up was her way of hearing herself; that Rose was still grasping that she _could_ hear herself.

From the moment we left the doctor's office the afternoon her implant was turned on, we began to speak to Rose, as well as sign, to allow her to get used to our voices and placing speech with sign. We also looked up a speech therapist that specialized in working with deaf/hoh kids. Rose's first appointment was fast approaching, but first, we had to take her in for another hearing test, just to see how much the aids and implant were working for her. We were told that, at most, she'd maybe only hear at thirty percent, which was better than nothing, and what Bella currently was able to hear in her right ear, even with her aids.

It had been an adjustment for all of us. We were slowly retraining ourselves to be vocal, so Rose could hear and learn speech.

Toby was still his sister's protector. When she'd cry or begin to feel frustrated, he'd bring her a favorite toy or try to get her interested in a game. Sometimes it worked, other times, not so much, but the one thing that did get her attention was Star Wars. Toby had completely called that she'd like the light saber noises. Since the week after her implant was turned on, they'd watched _The Force Awakens_ almost every day. She would become completely enthralled, even though she really didn't get it, nor did she care. It seemed as if she was just there for the sound effects. If it made her happy, I was all for it.

The first time Buster barked, because Toby and I were roughhousing a bit, was the first time I'd ever seen my Rosie scared. She wasn't sure what to do; whether she should scream or cry, or run. she opted to throw herself down and cry. She spent the remainder of that afternoon glued to Bella. Buster, I could tell, felt horrible. He kept trying to go up and lick on her, but Rose wasn't having it.

Though, later that night, I found him cuddled up next to her feet on her bed. All was forgiven.

We were learning fast what her favorite sound was, and she'd gravitate toward it whenever she heard it.

Her mom's voice.

She'd run up to Bella the second she heard it, and Rose quickly found out other ways she could hear her mom. She eventually pieced together that she could hear her mom on the phone. On one especially trying day, I was home waiting for Toby to get off the bus from school, while Bella was at work, and Rose kept making grunting noises. I couldn't figure out what she wanted, until I carried her all over the house and she eventually pointed to the phone.

"Momma?" I asked her, waited a few seconds, and then signed to her.

Rose nodded, her eyes teary.

I dialed Bella's number, and the second she answered, Rose became vocal. Just grunting out random sounds and reaching for the phone. I placed it up to her ear, but she didn't like that and moved away. She was still getting used to having anything near her ears when her aids were in. I put the speaker phone on, and let mom and daughter connect. Bella talked about anything and nothing, knowing our daughter just wanted her voice, and I couldn't blame her. Bella's voice was beautiful.

Rose's most disliked sound, apart from Buster's bark, was the sound of running water. Bath time had quickly become a frustrating time. She'd fight to get into the tub and cover her ears, and refuse to get in. Eventually, we began to run the bath before she got in. Though, on the opposite side of things, she loved the sound of splashing water.

Even though we were all learning to navigate this new life of ours, I loved seeing it all through my daughter's eyes. Her amazement at sounds I had long taken for granted amazed me once again. Sometimes it was just a simple sound on the television, or from a toy. Nonetheless, when her eyes grew wide and her smile overtook her; it made getting to this point for her completely worth it.

Three weeks to the day of the implant being turned on, we were back at the audiologist. That time, she'd be awake for her hearing test. We hoped she'd be able to raise her hands at sounds and go through a typical test. And she did, although a few meltdowns and tears occurred, but we got through it, and results were what we expected. With the Cochlear and hearing aid, she was hearing at or around a thirty percent level. Still nothing on her left, but we were happy with what she had—a second chance at hearing. If, when she was older and more technology became available, she wanted to try something on her left ear, we would leave that up to her. She'd gone through too many changes already, and we didn't want to dump more on her until she was ready or asked.

A week after the hearing test, we found ourselves with a speech therapist. Her name was Carmen, and she was patient and understanding. She laid out her plan, how she'd approach certain words and sounds, working Rose slowly up to where she should be for a child her age. We left that office with a plan to be there two times a week, thirty minutes each time, but also, with materials to help Rose at home as well.

A month of therapy for Rose brought the best surprise we weren't sure we'd ever receive.

It was just before bedtime and we were saying goodnight. Bella had just given Rose a kiss and tucked her in and began to walk out of the room to shut the light off. I was standing right outside the door and a tiny voice came just before my wife switched the light off.

"Ma!" our daughter not so quietly said. "Ma. Ma. Ma. Ma!"

My heart stopped and I found myself staring at my wife, who now had tears streaming down her face and a huge smile, and that made my chest fill with love.

Bella turned around and walked back to our daughter, pulling her up in her arms and hugging her. The whole time, our little Rose kept saying, "Ma."

Who knew one two-letter word could light our world.

And light our world she did.

Rose was the best gift our family could ever ask for. She made us better. She made our love seem like it couldn't be contained, and it couldn't. It overflowed all throughout the house and family.

My kids and my wife made this life worth it—every moment, of every second, of every day. Just perfect.

What started as a habit of my son collecting leaves that had fallen to the ground to give to his, now, mom, and my daughter who loved to play all through the snow, made me realize it truly is the simple things in life that bring you the best gifts that make the greatest impacts felt for ages to come.

 **The End.**

 **~.~**

 **Again, the Epilogue will post sometime tomorrow.**

 **Thank you for reading and sticking with me for this story.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I've absolutely loved writing this story. I love these characters, this family, and Rose and Toby have stolen my heart, just like they have all of yours. I can't thank you guys enough for taking another chance on one of my fics, for loving it as much as I do, if not more. Every review, I have read and they truly made my days better. All of the questions you guys have messaged me about Deaf/hoh culture or my life, have made me love this fandom even more than I already do. So thank you. To each and every one of you for loving this story.**

 **Thank you to Kyla713 for always correcting my words and not wanting to disown me as a friend. To Mo, who is like my other sister, thank you for always encouraging me, letting me know that I am too critical of myself, that all of this really is that good.**

 **Lastly...I hope you enjoy this last look at this family. I will never be able to thank you, the readers, for going on this short journey with me.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~.~**

 **Epilogue-**

 **Twenty- five years later.**

My now twenty-eight-year-old daughter stood in front of a mirror, looking like an absolute angel. Her hair was flowing down her back, curls here and there. It was so long and thick now, that you couldn't even notice her cochlear. You could barely even notice that she was once a quiet, deaf girl. Most were surprised when they found out, and sometimes, her voice still held the sound of a deaf person speaking—mumbled words, soft voice, missed letters in words—but most of the time, you'd never guess it, unless you knew her.

I stood behind her, admiring how far she'd come from the time she was a little girl that would snuggle up to me, to the woman she had become. I took in her long white dress and smiled. Emotions I couldn't even describe began to bubble up inside of me.

The most prominent one, though, was pride. She proved so many wrong throughout her life and just kept going, not giving a care in the world.

Her gaze looked up in the mirror as her hands flattened at her dress. "Daddy." Her voice trembled with emotion. She turned around and faced me, her hand going up to sign I love you in that special way she used to do when she was two years old and running back inside from the cold snow.

"Yes, my little love?" I replied, trying to smile without letting tears fall.

I never got tired of my nickname for her, no matter how much she grew up. She was always my little love, even if I was giving her away that day.

"Do you remember that snow fight when I finally got Toby back for all the years he got me? Square in the back of the head?" Her smile was soft, sweet.

"I do. It was about time, too. Though, your brother wasn't as happy." It only took until Rose was about five to finally get him, and when she did, she let out the biggest howl of laughter. Toby stood there, looking not pleased at all, yet you could tell he was proud of her. She had been trying since she was two, anyway."

"Remember how he said he'd get me back?" she asked, grabbing for my hands and slipping something inside.

I pulled my hand up and opened it, finding a small white fluffy ball with a latch on the outside. I looked up at my daughter, tilting my head in question.

"He bought that locket for me. Said he found it in some gift shop and it reminded him of a snowball. This was his way of getting back at me, I suppose, since we no longer have snowball fights. Honestly, I think he's just mad I can get him now." She laughed, her speech sounding so much stronger after years of therapy. She was able to quit Speech when she was eleven. We were so incredibly proud, and continued to be. "Open it, Dad."

So, I did. Inside, I found a paper of certificate of adoption with a note attached. I recognized her writing right away.

 **Dad-**

 **In about five weeks, you'll get to meet Eli. He reminds me of Toby and I mixed together. He's three years old and completely deaf. Jason and I knew he'd be perfect for this family. I can't wait to help him sign Grandpa to you.**

 **I love you to the moon and back, Daddy.**

 **Always,**

 **Your little love.**

A sob broke free of me, as I pulled her into me, trying to be mindful of her hair, makeup and dress. I held her to me, not wanting to let her go, but knowing that once I did , I'd be gaining so much more.

"I can't wait to meet him. I am so proud of you and Jason, and I couldn't ask for a better man to be my son-in-law." I sighed, wiping at my face. "All through your life, you have given me the best gifts. And this is no exception. I love you to the moon and back, too."

A knock at the door broke us apart. It was Toby, all dressed up in a tux. He'd been married for the last five years, but had no kids yet. He turned out to be an amazing man. He was now an audiologist, which he credited Rose for him choosing that field. All through the years, he'd never stopped being there for her. He was there to protect her from bullies, help her through a broken heart, and they comforted each other when we sadly lost Buster.

Buster was fourteen years old when we took him into the vet and they found a huge mass in his bowel. We tried chemo and surgery, but it was too much for our Buster. We came down one morning and found that he'd left our world sometime during the night. The kids were devastated. We never did get another dog. Nothing could replace our Buster.

"Hey Dad, Rose...Mom says it's almost time. She's given you and Dad enough time, she says, so she wants to get you sorted one last time." He then walked in and closed the door. "I love you, Rose. You are everything I could ever want in a sister and then some." He hugged her, and then nodded his head to me for us to go.

I kissed my Rose one last time before leaving her to be with her mom. As I walked down the hall, Bella stopped me, and pulled me in for a kiss.

"You have one last duty. You've got to walk our beautiful daughter down the aisle." She slipped a tiny bottle into my hand, and I looked down and noticed it was whiskey. "I think you might need that," she said and began walking away as she laughed.

All too soon, I was standing outside dark double doors, with Rose's arm looped through mine as the wedding march began to play. I squeezed her to me one last time, kissing her cheek softly. As we walked down the aisle, I took in everyone's faces. There was Alice and Jasper and their children, her doctors that helped her become the woman she was today, and numerous friends and family. Yet, the one face that stood out was my wife's and her smile as we took each new step towards my daughter's new beginning. I looked up toward the altar, and found Jason, signing I love you over and over to her with tears in his eyes.

Time felt like it stood still when I lifted my daughter's veil and placed her hand in her soon to be husband's, but her smile was one I'd never forget. It looked as if it could light up the whole room. Just before I turned away, she leaned in and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you, Dad. I love you."

I nodded. It was all I could do. The emotions were just too much.

I sat down next to Bella and grabbed her hand, squeezing three times.

Another chapter was closing, but the future was beautiful.

 **~.~**

 **Thank you for reading. Thank you to all of those that may have Rec'd this story. Thank you for loving this family as much as I do.**


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